Rotary engine.



No. 657,826. Patented Sept. Il. |900. G. E. LEDVINA.

- ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application Bled Oct. 25, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented Sept. Il, |900.

G. E. LEDVINA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application fled Oct. 25, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w NM lffw /N VE N 70H W/ T/VESSES ALTURA/ers mams Rs co, Fuero-LINO. wAs

(No Model.)

(Application med Oct. 25, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

NTTED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

GEORGE E. LEDVINA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORv OE ONE-HALF TO JULIUS C. MLLER, OF SAME PLACE, EM'ANIIEL B. LEDVINA, OF PRINCE- TON, INDIANA, AND HENRY FISCHER, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK;

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No; 657,826, dated septembe 11, ioo.

Application led October 25, 1899. erial No. 734.751. \N0 model.)

To LZ/f who/lt t may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE E. LEDVINA, ofthe city of New York, (Stapletom) borough of Richmond, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of thisinvention is to provide a multiple-expansion rotary engine in which the pressure and consequent strain-on all of the moving parts will be accurately balanced and their movements effected with absolute evenness of strain, thereby reducing the friction between the part-s and the strain thereof tothe minimum and producing a more effective engine than has been heretofore devised. This end I accomplish by utilizingaplurality of rotary cut-off shells, which in rotating control the application of steam to the pistons, the sizes of which cut-offs increase in geometrical progression, and, further, I arrange the engine so that the motive fluid passes from one cut-olf shell to the other, thus to utilize the entire force of the motive fluid, the pistons being arranged to transmit their movement to the engine-shaft at equidistant circumferential points, -so as to distribute the strain equally upon such shaft.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis a longitudinal sect-ion of the invention on the line l l of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the same line. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. is an end elevation of one ofthe steam-chests, and Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of several of the cylindrical cut-01Tl shells with their jackets removed.

'lhe engine-shaft A is revolubly mounted in end bearings B, and to these bearings is suitably attached the cylinder C of the engine,

which extends from one bearing to the other and through which the shaft A is eccentrically passed. SurroundingtheshaftAand turning thereon are cut-off shells,which I will hereinafter designateascu t-otr's. Theseareshown to be six in number, D, E, F, G, l-I, and I, and sandwiched between them are steam-chests K. The cut-ods'and steam-chests iit snugly yet loosely within the cylinder C, the cut-offs being adapted to revolve concentrically within the cylinder, while the steam-chests being fitted snugly around the shaft A are not revoluble. The cut-offs and steam-chests are free to slide with respect to the cylinder C and shaft A', and these elements are held pressed snugly together by steam-pressure acting primarily upon Banged cylinder-heads L and M, arranged iu the respective ends of the cylinder and bearing againstthe adjacent or end cut-offs. The flanges of the cylinder-heads L and M are disposed outward, so as to form chambers, with the former of which the steam or other motive-fluid feed pipe 8 communicates and with the latter of which an auxiliary steam-pipe 9 communicates. By this arrangement the cylinderheads L and M are continually under steampressure, which is transmitted lo the several cut-offs and steam-chests, and thus these elements are made to bear snugly together and are kept constantly in steam-tight connection. Each cut-olf is in connection with the engineshaft A by means of a piston-head N, which is mounted to slide in passages 10,-formed transversely in theshaft A, and these pistonheads are disposed at equidistant points around the circumference of the shaft Aand located directly inside of the respective cutoffs. The piston-heads are pivotally connected with Vthe respective cut-offs through the medium of lugs 1l, (see Figs. Zand 8,) formed in the inner walls of the pistons, it being un derstood that the side edges of the pistonheads .bear against the faces of the steamchests K and at the ends of the engine against the cylinder-heads L and M. Inside ot' each cut-off is arranged a packing-sleeve 16, such sleeves encircling the shaft A and being of lengths equal to the lengths of the cut-offs. These sleeves 16 are formed with orifices I7,

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permitting the steam at the exhausting side of the piston-head to enter between the sleeves and the shaft A, and springs 18, preferably of the form shown, are arranged between the shaft and sleeves to make steam-tight connections with the interior Walls of the cut-offs at one point in the circumference of each c utoff, as shown in Fig. 3. The steam or other force acting against the piston-heads causes them to turn with the cut-ods and the pistonheads transmit movement to the engine-shaft, which is thereby driven. Owing to the balanced arrangement of the piston-heads the force of the engine is equally distributed throughout the shaft and such shaft driven with great evenness of movement, as explained hereinbefore.

The cut-offs D, E, and F are duplicates in construction and increase in length in' geometrical progression, the cut-olf E being'twice the length of the cut-off D and the cut-olf F being twice the length of the cut-off E. Fig.' 7 shows the form of the cut-off F, which is also the form of the cut-oftsD and E. These cu t-offs are in the form of sleeves with smooth interior bores and with annular fianges 14 at the outside and at each end. An exhaustport 15 is formed in each cut-off and .communi cates with the space between the flanges 14. An inlet-port 19 is formed in each cut-oli', the inlet-port 19 being arranged adjacent to the exhaust-port 15 and being fianked on each side by exterior longitudinal fianges 2O and running through the left-hand flanges 14, for

a purpose hereinafter described. The lug 11 of each cnt-off is situated intermediate the ports 15 and 19, so that two coacting pistonheads may be located between the feed and exhaust ports. The steam in exhausting by the port 15 passes around the cut-o between the iianges 14 and iinally passes from the cutf off through an orifice 2l in the right flange 14 thereof. Each cut-off has shrunk thereon a jacket 22, which jackets form parts of the cut-ods, and therefore turn therewith. These jackets extend from one flange 14 to the other and inclose the space between, so as to form a tight steam-passage around the cut-off. (See Fig. The cut-offs G, H, and I are of sizes in the same ratio as the cut-offs D, E, and F, and when the cut-offs are thus elongated it may be desirable to strengthen them by an additional rib or ribs 141. (Best shown in Fig. 8.) In this case two or more exhaustports 15a are provided, so that the rib or ribs 14a may extend unbroken to that fiange 2() which is situated between the feed and exhaust ports of the cut-off. The rib or ribs 14a have orifices 14b at the other flange 20, permitting the steam to pass to the final outlet 21. The steam entering the engine by the pipe 8 passes into the chamber formed by the flanged cylinder-head L, and from this chamber the steam passes through a port 12,formed in the cylinder-head L, and then enters the cut-off D by way of the left-hand end of the inlet-port 19. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 3.) The steam then acting on the cut-off head N turns it,with the piston D`,within the cylinder C and transmits its movement to the shaft A. The steam is exhausted from the cut-off D by the outlet-port 15 and appurtenant passages, as explained.

Each steam-chest K has its outer side wall bearing loosely yet snugly against the cylin- .der C, and within each steam-chest is formed a box 23, mounted loosely on the shaft A, which arrangement prevents the rotation of the steam chests. Each end wall of the steam-chest is formed with a number of ports 24, located near the periphery of the steamchest and extending almost entirely around the same, the line of ports being interrupted at each side of the bearing or box 23. (See Figs. 4 and 6.) The steam therefore passing from the cut-olf D by way of the final outletorifice 21 enters the adjacentsteam-chest K by way ofthe ports 24 in the adjacent (left-hand) end of such steam-chest, and from the said adjacent steam-chest K the steam then passes by the opposite ports 24 `out into the cut-oft` E by way of the feed-port thereof, the steam expanding in the cut-off E and causing it to operate like the cut-off D. From the piston E the steam passes out into the other steamchests and cut-offs in the manner described with reference to the cut-offs D and E. The steam is inally exhausted into the atmosphere from the cut-off I by Way of a pipe 25, passing through the cylinder C. In the case of the cut-off I, therefore, the outlet 21 being unnecessary is omitted.

With au engine so constructed and arranged it will be seen that by a system of cut-offs and piston-heads of the character shown receiving the steam the one from the other, so that the steam successively expands in the cut-offs and is finally exhausted from the last cnt-off, the whole of the motive force of the steam contained in the boiler is utilized and none but leakage is lost. I thus produce a rotary engine which in utilizing the whole pressure of the steam is highly effective in the generation of power. It will also be observed that by the distribution of the force equally throughout the circumference of the engine-shaft this shaft is driven with absolutev evenness of movement and with an entire absence of lateral strain or jar on the shaft. This enables the engine to be driven at a very high speed, and it enables the bearings of the shaft A to be eectively lubricated, so that heating of the bearings and like detrimental actions are entirely avoided., It will be obvious that the apparatus is useful in connection with all expansive motive fluids and, further, that by reversing the action it may be utilized for the compression of fluids.

Any number of cut-offs and piston-heads may be employed. I have shown six; but it is obvious that this number is not essential.

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Should the cut-offs be multiplied to such an extent that their length will make them inconvenient of construction and impair the strength thereof, the long cut-offs may, if desired, be divided into sections, as shown with respect to the cut-olf I in Fig. l. Between these sections I interpose a disk 26, which is mounted snugly within the cylinder C and loosely and eccentrically on the engine-shaft A. This disk is formed with passages 27 therein, permitting the steam to pass from one section of the piston I to the other. The operation of the cut-off when so divided is the same as that of the cut-offs which are not divided. The piston-heads of this cut-off I when divided as described, are also divided in conformity with the division of the cutofs; but all of the sections of the cut-off and all of the sections of the piston-head act in unison. Further, the sections of the pistonhead when divided are engaged with the shaft A at the same circumferential point, asindicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, which arrangement is necessary to the perservation of the theory of operation characteristic of rny invention. In order to avoid excessive tensile strain on the jackets due to the pressure of steam in the cut-ods, I form in the bore of the cylinder a number of pockets C', which are located opposite the respective cut-offs and immediat-ely adjacent the spaces between the anges 14 and 14a. In these pockets is received the leakage of steam from the cut-offs and steam-chests, which leakage will always occur to some extent. This steam in the pockets C presses the jackets in opposition to the pressure inside of the jackets and accomplishes the end above explained.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patentrevolving cutoffs,pistonheads and the spring ring or sleeve surrounding the shaft forming a packing by the pressure of the fluid force which passes through the same.

2. A multi-expansion rotary engine having the combination of a cylinder, an eccentrically-inserted shaft, a hollow revolving cutoff inserted in the cylinder to revolve in the same by the assistance of the piston-head, a piston-head effecting the connection between the shaft and the cut-off, and a packing ring or sleeve encircling the shaft and effecting a steam-tight connection between the shaft and the cut-off at the points of contact thereof, and also forming steam-tight connection between the shaft and the boxes of the steamchests, the edges of the ends of the sleeve sliding against the faces of the steam-chests.

3. A multi-expansion motor having the.

combination of a cylinder having pocket-s formed in its bore, a cut-off fitted in the cylinder, and a jacket fastened or shrunk onto the cut-off and bearing against the projecting ribs of the cylinder-bore, the pockets of the cylinder being juxtaposed to the jackets and serving to receive the leakage of the motive [inid establishing a contrapressure from the exterior to the one interior of the same, and thereby assisting the tensile strength of the cut-off.

4. A rotary engine` having hollow1 cylindrical rotating cut-offs formed with annular flanges,each having a port-opening within the space between the flanges and the jacket, shrunk on the exterior of the fianges to inclose the space between the flanges,thus forming an inclosed passage for the fluid, the passage extending circumferentially around the cut-off, each cut-O being provided with two openings cut adjacently into the flanges, one opposite the other, the one separated from the other by longitudinally-running flanges, one serving as feed and the other oppositely as the outlet-opening for the fluid passingin to and out of the expansion-chamber.

5. A rotary engine, having hollow cylindrical cut-offs with feed and exhaust ports formed therein adjacently one to the other, and in some parts of the several expansions the feed and exhaust ports are directly opposite the other, the annular ribs or iianges being'anked by longitudinal fianges, a jacket fastened onto the exterior of the cut-olfto inclose the space between the annular and cross flanges, thus forming separate ducts for the feed and exhaust extending circumferentially around the cut-od, both the end annular flanges having an orifice forming respectively the initial feed-port,and the final exhaust-port of the mot-ive fluid passes through the perforations of the cut-off jacket.

6. The combination of a revoluble engineshaft,a stationary cylinder through which the shaft is eccentrically passed, a plurality of multiple-expansion cut-offs revolubly fitted within the cylinder and encircling the shaft-, steam-chests interposed between the cut-offs and held stationarily Within the cylinder, the cut-offs having feed and exhaust ports, and the steam -chests having ports registering therewith, permitting the motive fluid to pass successively from one cut-off tothe other, and piston-heads pivotally connected with the respective cut-offs and having radially-sliding connection .with the shaft at different points on the circumference thereof, the side edges of the piston-heads sliding against' the ends of the steam-chests.

7. The combination of a cylinder, an eccentrically-disposed shaft revolubly mounted therein, a cut-off' turning within the'cylinder around the shaft, the cut-off having feed and exhaust ports, and a piston-head sliding radially in the shaft and having pivotal con- IOC IIO

n nection with the cut-o at a point between:

the feed and exhaust ports thereof.

8. The combination of a cylinder having pockets formed in its port, a cut-olf fitted therein, and a jacket fastened on the cut-off and bearing against the cylinder, the pockets in the cylinder being juxtaposed to the pockets and serving to receive the leakage 'of the motive fluid, establishing against the jacket a pressure contrary to that within the same.

9. The combination of a cylindrical cut-olf formed with annular flanges and a port communicating with' the Space between the flanges, and a jacket fastened exteriorly on the cut-off to inclose the space between the flanges, thus forming a steam passage' extending circumferentially around the cut-off,l one of the flanges having orifices for the final outlet of the steam from the piston.

l0. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, an engine-shaft extended continuously throughout the cylinder and mounted to turn therein and disposed eccentricaily thereto, the shaft being formed with a transverse passage or housing therein, a pistonhead fitted to slide in the passage or housing and radially of the shaft, and a rotating cut- -off fitted to turn within the cylinder and having connection with the outer end of the piston-head.

11. In a multiple-expansion rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a rotating engine-shaft extended continuously through the cylinder and mounted eccentrically therein, the shaft being formed with a plurality of transverse passages or housings therein, such passages being out of radial alinement with each other, piston -heads fitted to slide respectively in the passages or housings,where by the movement of the pistons is transmitted uniformly to the shaft, causing it to run true in its bearings, a rotating cut-off encircling each piston-head and connected therewith, and means fitted between the cut-offs to transmit the motive fluid successively from one to the other.

l2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, an engine-shaft .mounted to turn therein and disposed eccentrically thereto, a piston-head carried by the shaft and sliding l radially thereof within the cylinder, and a revolving cut-olf shell encircling the shaft and piston-head and pivotally connected withthe Vouter portion of the latter, the cut-off turning with the piston-head and shaft and serving to control the application of steam to the piston-head.

13. In a rotary engine, 'the combination of a cylinder, a rotating shaft extended eccentrically therethrough, a piston-head carried by the shaft and sliding radially thereof, and a rotating cut-off fitted to turn in the cylinder and having pivotal connection with the outer portion of the piston-head, the cut-off having feed and exhaust ports situate on opposite sides of the piston-head and having a circumferential steam-passage formed therein, such passage being in communication with the exhaust-port of the cut-off and extending around into close proximity with the feedport, the cut-oft' having an orifice at the discharge end of the said steam-passage therein, for permitting the final passage of the steam from the cut-offs.

14. A multipleexpansion rotary engine, comprising a cylinder,an engine-shaft ino u nted to turn therein and disposed eccentrically thereto, a plurality of piston-heads mounted to slide radially on the shaft within the cylinder, hollow revolving cut-os fitted in the cylinder and encircling the shaft and respectively having pivotal connection With the outer portions of the piston-heads, the cutoffs being formed with steam-passages serving to control the application of the steam to the pistons, and steam-chests sandwiched between the cut-offs and engaged with' the cylinder and shaft, the steam-chests serving to transmit the steam successively from one cutoff to the other.

15. The combination of a cylinder, an eccentrically-disposed shaft mounted to turn therein, a piston-head sliding radially onnthe shaft within the cylinder, and a revolving cut-off fitted in the cylinder and encircling the shaft and piston-head and pivotally connected with the outer portion of the latter, the cut-off comprising a cylindrical drum with peripheral `flanges, and a jacket fastened on the flanges to form a circumferential steampassage within the cut-off, the cut-off having feed and exhaust ports at opposite sides of the piston-head, and the exhaust-port being in communication with the said circumferential steam-passage of the cut-o.

16. The combination of a cylinder, a revolving shaft mounted eccentrieally therein, a piston-head mounted to slide radially in the shaft, and a cut-off mounted to turn in the cylinder and encircling the shaftand pistonhead, with which latter the cut-off has connection, the said cut-olf having feed and exhaust ports and having a circumferential passage therein in communication with the exhaust-port, such passage serving to lead the motive liuid from the cut-olf.

17. A rotary engine, having a cylinder, a piston, and a rotating cut-off serving to control the application of the motive iiuid to the piston, the cut-off having feed and exhaust ports and having a circumferential steampassage therein in communication with the exhaust-port, and serving to conduct the motive fluid from the cut-off.

18. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a shaft mounted to turn eccentrically therein, a pistonhead mounted to slide in the shaft, a rotating cut-off fitted in the cylinder and capable of endwise movement therein, and a steam-chest also fitted in the cylinder and snugly on the shaft, thesteam-chest bearing against the rotating eut-off and being aiso capable of endwise movement.

19. The combination of a cylinder, a. shaft 1n ounted to turn eecentricaily therein, pistonheeds carried by the shaft to slide radially thereof, rotating cut-ois tted in the cylinder and connected with the respective pistonheads, steam-chests tted in the cylinder between the cut-offs, the steam-chests and eutes beingr capable of endwise movement in the cylinder, and movable cylinder-heads in the cylinder arranged to have steam-pressure exerted thereon, whereby to press together the steam-chests and eut-offs.

v GEORGE E. LEDVINA. Witnesses:

I. B. OWENS, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL. 

